From A Kingdom's Shadow

CHAPTER FIVE

Apondra quietly walked the streets, secretly hoping to catch a glimpse of the elven prince. But the town was so busy with people checking the street vendors and markets that the prince could have passed her by without her noticing. Barri had asked her to pick up a few things, and she reluctantly agreed. She already had them in the small pack Barri had given her, she just didn't want to go home yet. The fresh air, though tainted with the smell of unwashed people and animal leavings, was still more welcoming than home right now.

So she stopped at almost every cart that caught her interest, fussing over necklaces and bracelets that she would never buy, hair pins she would never wear, and perfumes that made her stomach turn at the scent. Anything for just a few more moments of sunshine.

Apondra quietly wondered if the elven prince had already left town. She could not help but dream of his mesmerizing eyes, though it had been almost a week since she had seen them, she could not get the prince out of her mind. She sighed and turned away from the stall where a young woman was selling an assortment of ruby jewelry, commissioned from Vohabard's best miners she had said. As she turned to walk away, she bumped into someone, "Hey!" She exclaimed in shock, stumbling backwards, "watch where you are going!" she saw the green and white of his shirt, and gold trim... those intense, yet gentle, green eyes looking down at her, "You- ... oh,"

The prince wore a gentle smile as he raised a hand for his men to stand down, "It is good to see you again,"

Her voice caught in her throat and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, she had almost cussed out the visiting prince! She fumbled to copy the odd greeting the other women gave him, tucking one foot behind the other and bending at the knee with her head down, more apologetically than as a greeting. Her feet crossed together, she lost her balance and fell on her backside in the dirt, nearly crushing Barri's bag. Her wrapped wings pained with the sudden fall and the redness in her cheeks deepened as she quickly tried to right herself, when the prince offered a muscular arm to her. Mindful of his guards she reluctantly took his arm as gently as she could.

"Are you alright, miss?" he asked as he helped Apondra to her feet.

She brushed the back of her dress and nodded in response, "Yes, I am alright. My apologies, your excellence," so scripted, so formal. She hated the way it sounded.

His eyes almost seemed sad for a moment, but as soon as she saw it, the gentleness returned to his eyes, "I was just looking for somewhere to have a good afternoon meal, Do you have any suggestions?" one eyebrow raised and Apondra fought not to giggle at how coy it seemed.

She quickly checked that none of Barri's things were damaged with her fall, and smiled, more genuinely this time, "I would be happy to, your excellence, but I have to get these back to my father," she took a breath to keep from growling the word.

He nodded kindly, "I would be glad to walk you there. Is it far?"

Apondra watched his guards move aside, allowing her space to walk next to the prince. How strange... she thought as they began their walk, the guards did not seem to be guarding him much at all...

A deep chuckle tore her from her thoughts and she looked at the prince, a bit confused.

"You still have not told me what direction we are headed," his smile was bright, and warm like the fireplace back home.

"Oh!" she tried to hide the rose in her cheeks, "It is just up this way!" she took the lead, with the prince at her left, the guards keeping close behind them.

As she pushed open the door, she could hear Barri call from the garden, "Late again Apondra! Did you find Barri his things?"

She went quickly to the garden and showed Barri what she had found. It was not much, but it almost seemed like Barri was preparing for something; he had been asking her to go to the market for this and that, some days her pack almost made her fall on its own with the amount of goods he had asked her to bring back, "I got everything," but she still did not understand why he needed so many bundles of twine, sheets and thick crafted blankets, never mind the bundles of produce, and waterskins she had found him earlier in the week.